You're A Marine Now
by Tetsuhana
Summary: Ace is left beat up, barely able to move after his crew throws him overboard. He is pretty much set on starving or drowning when he is picked up by Smoker and his crew and from there, things start to get a little weird. SmokerxAce Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

You're A Marine Now

Rune Alchemist Kaori

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece in any way shape or form. (Though I wish I could have Ace)

A/N: I'm not 100 sure where this idea originated from, but my wonderful girlfriend has been helping me write it so thanks Snuggle-muffin! I don't know why, but when I first uploaded this document my title and everything didn't show up. But it's here now.

"Smoker-taisa!" Tashigi shouted, her voice a bit nervous. That was how his day had started. Smoker wasn't sure what he had expected. What he hadn't expected was to see a beat up pirate sprawled out on deck. He raised an eyebrow.

"So… Portgas D. Ace, we meet yet again," he said. Ace made no reply, his eyes moving up to the marine, he opened his mouth but not a sound came out. Tashigi knelt down and held a cupful of water to his lips. The pirate drank down the liquid greedily, holding tightly to the cup even after every drop was gone.

"We found him drifting sir," Tashigi explained. Ace's skiff was on deck as well.

"Just another piece of trash in the ocean," Smoker said, "Lock him away."

Ace felt hands on him, he felt himself being lifted, his eyes widened and those who were touching him got their hands scorched.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" the pirate screamed and he stared at them with a sort of terror in his eyes another moment and he passed out onto the deck. The captain rolled his eyes and grabbed the pirate.

"I guess if you want something done right you have to do it yourself," he grumbled, carrying Ace below deck. He took him into a cell and set him down before he began to clean him up. If he didn't get cleaned up all the cuts on his body were liable to get infected. When the alcohol touched his cuts Ace's eyes snapped open and his eyes roamed about then fixed on Smoker.

" Taisa?" he muttered the groaned softly. He felt as if he'd rather be dead than to be in so much pain; his mouth was dry and he could barely speak. His body jumped as he felt the sting of the alcohol again.

"Stop squirming Portgas," Smoker snapped, "Or I'll just leave you like this."

Ace flinched slightly, but remained still for the most part. He looked at Smoker's face.

"Neh… Smoker… I didn't know Whitebeard was your dad…" Ace said softly, not wanting Smoker to explode.

"He's not," Smoker snapped, tying the last bandage a little too tightly.

"Oh…" Ace mumbled, "I guess I got punished for nothing then…"

"Like my father would be a murdering pirate…" Smoker was grumbling as he made sure Ace was all cleaned up.

"Oh and like marines are any better," Ace said, "My grandfather left me and Luffy alone when we were just little kids because 'duty called.'"

"Marines keep the people safe from the likes of murdering thieving pirates." he said. "If your grandfather was a marine then I hope he's dead so he won't have to bear the shame of his two grandsons becoming pirates."

"You know he isn't dead! The whole reason your chasing Luffy is because you're supposed to be keeping an eye on him. He always did like Luffy better... probably because he's straight..."

"Who told you that?" He snapped. "There is nothing I would like more than to have the two of you strung up by your necks." he lied. He hated being assigned to such a softie's mission.

Ace winced again. His body hurt. "Water..." he mumbled, "Can I have some?"

The older man rolled his eyes but he wasn't going to deny him water. From the looks of it he hadn't gotten any, other than the cupful Tashigi had given him, for some time. He came back with three cupfuls of water and set them in front of the pirate. Ace drank slowly, knowing he'd get sick if he drank too fast. The pirate looked at his captor's somewhat inquisitive face.

"I got thrown overboard," Ace explained.

"No honor among thieves I take it," Smoker said.

"It was my own fault… I screwed up… majorly… Thanks for the water… You can throw me into the ocean now… or whatever you want…"

"Oh no… you're going back to headquarters for judgment."

"That's fair I guess… although I think I'd rather drown"

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll find enough evidence to send you to the gallows," Smoker said.

"Gee… thanks…" Ace said, "You don't really get it though. You know my grandfather's the Vice-Admiral. He's gonna know I don't have anywhere to go now. He's gonnado something horribly ironic I know it."

"Oh well whatcha gonna do..." Smoker said.

"You're not very sympathetic," Ace said, looking annoyed, "Imagine if you're dad captured you and you had nowhere to go."

"MY FATHER IS NOT A PIRATE!!" Smoker yelled at him. Ace just stared at him resolutely.

"Yeah? Well tell that to my aching body that got the shit beaten out of it for messing with the captain's son." Ace said, glaring slightly. Smoker froze, and looked at Ace in surprise. He knew the boy was always following him, but… A small amount of pity came to him for Ace, but he couldn't let him know that. He stormed out of the cell, locking it.

"Oi! Hey dumbass you put me in the wrong cell!!" Ace yelled after him, "I can melt this lock you know!!"

Yes, Ace could have heated the lock and kicked the door down since Smoker had been absent-minded enough to put him in the wrong cell and not cuff him but he didn't really have anywhere to go, so he laid down to sleep.

Meanwhile Smoker was trying to think of the best way to deal with Ace. He did this for a long time until he heard a crash downstairs and realized his blunder. He ran downstairs only to see Ace casually walking out of his cell.

"What a cheap door…" Ace muttered.

"Actually their rather expensive," Smoker said, looking pissed off. Ace hesitated.

"I just need to move around. That cell is small and I've been stuck in one place for three weeks.." he explained.

"That's not your choice to make," Smoker said. Ace pouted at him.

"Please?" he begged, "I'll stay below deck and I won't touch anything…"

Smoker's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I have absolutely nowhere to go. This is actually the safest place for me," Ace explained, "If I leave, Whitebeard will send someone after me."

Ace blathered on for a few minutes about why he was going to stay on the ship before Smoker stopped him.

"I still don't trust you Portgas," he said, "If you go anywhere it'll be with me, so I can keep an eye on you."

"I can live with that," Ace said, "I'm not here to put up a fight…. Besides, I like being with you."

The pirate winked playfully. Now that he wasn't about to die of dehydration, he was pretty much himself. The captain just rolled his eyes and cuffed Ace's hands with cuffs that had seastone in them. It wasn't enough to make Ace unable to function, but it slowed him down and he was unable to use his logia. Smoker attached a leash to the cuffs and then led Ace to the mess hall in silence until Ace spoke up.

"You know, unless you're trying to break my spirit or something…. The leash is a bit much. I don't have anywhere to go. You took my skiff and I can't swim.."

"I could just lock you back up in a cell," Smoker said sharply.

"Ok… Ok.. I'll be quiet…" Ace mumbled. And amazingly, Ace was true to his word. He remained silent until Smoker pushed him into his new cell.

When morning came Smoker had called Headquarters and informed them about their situation. The orders he received were not exactly what he had expected. He opened Ace's cell and tossed a uniform at him.

"Get up boy," the captain said, "You're a Marine now."


	2. Chapter 2

You're a Marine Now

Rune Alchemist Kaori

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece in any way shape or form.

A/N: Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments. Thanks again to my girlfriend who helps me write. I apologize for the swearing, Ace is kind of pissed off.

* * *

Ace could not have looked more surprised as a marine uniform was thrown at his head. He caught it and threw it back, glaring slightly.

"I think I'd rather hang," he said bitingly.

"Too bad, you're under my command now, I suggest you start calling me 'sir'." Smoker said, finding some amusement in all this.

"I'm not wearing this shitty uniform," Ace said, "Everything I wear is fireproof and this obviously is not."

"Well, as long as you keep wearing those cuffs you won't have to worry about that will you?" Smoker asked, his back turned to Ace as he changed.

"Oh yeah, and I'm supposed to work on a ship with cuffs on that make me want to curl up and go to sleep," Ace said, "I HATE these things. If there was much more of that shitty metal I'd freakin pass out!"

"You'll learn to cope," Smoker told him, "I'm not taking them off until you've proven you're trustworthy. Put your hands on the table."

Ace did as he was told and almost jumped when Smoker's sword hit the chain that connected his cuffs, breaking it.

"There, now you can move around at least," the Captain said.

"You did that on purpose," Ace muttered, looking at Smoker's smug face. The ex-pirate huffed.

"Some Marine I'll make," he complained, "I can't fight, can't swim. Might as well go find a mop since it's the only damn thing I can do."

"That's the spirit," Smoker said, a bit mockingly. Ace looked at himself in the uniform and hated it immediately. The newly recruited marine glared at his captain and grabbed a mop. If he was stuck on this boat at least he could do _something_. Strangely he didn't ask anyone where anything was, he just got it.

Smoker supervised the boy's work for some time, making sure he didn't try anything funny. He found it odd that Ace wasn't asking anyone what to do, or where anything was, but he said nothing about it. He had to hand it to the boy, he was a good worker. As Ace was finishing up mopping He fell asleep in a bout of narcolepsy, leaning against his mop until it slipped and he fell onto the floor with a rather loud –THUD-

This caught everyone's attention. Not everyone knew that Ace had this problem, so some of them, even though they weren't very fond of him, grew very concerned, wondering if he had died. Tashigi was going ballistic.

"Oh my god… oh my god! He's dead!" she freaked out. Smoker rolled his eyes.

"Who ever heard of a marine with narcolepsy…" he muttered as he walked over and picked the boy up. Shortly after he was picked up Ace woke with a start.

"Wha? What happened?" he asked. He noted he was being carried and squirmed out of the marine's arms until he was dropped onto the floor, intense terror in his eyes.

"What is your problem??" Smoker asked, rather annoyed. Ace opened his mouth but nothing came out. He turned away, searching for something to do.

"Hey! Ensign, I was talking to you!" Smoker said, grabbing Ace's arm. Ace froze and turned towards the captain, his eyes losing all of their spark and luster.

"I'm sorry sir… I can't answer your question…" he said, backing away slightly.

"You can and you will Portgas!" Smoker snapped.

"I can't… because I don't remember…" Ace said hesitantly.

"Come again?"

Ace looked at the floor. "I don't remember what happened to me ok?" he said, sounding extremely hurt, "I remember being grabbed and then I remember waking up in a lot of pain and drifting in the ocean. That's it… It's probably bugging my subconscious and I'll try not to let it happen again sir…"

Ace tried to pull away, but Smoker wouldn't allow it. He dragged the boy to the sick room. He had a pretty good clue as to what had happened. Ace followed, but he didn't really like being touched, especially as of late. He wrenched his arm away from the captain once they got there.

"Take your pants off and turn around," Smoker told him, getting some ointments out of a medicine cabinet.

"Wh..what??" Ace's eyes widened and he backed away slightly. Smoker sighed.

"I have a feeling your crew decided to have a little gang-bang before they threw you overboard," he told him as gently as he could, "If that's true those wounds need to be treated or they'll get infected."

Something in Ace snapped. His body began to tremble as flashes of his suppressed memories came back to him. Shaking terribly, his knees failed him and he fell to the floor.

"I thought as much," Smoker said, looking at the boy as he curled up as much as he could. Ace was mumbling something unheard as he curled up more tightly. The captain handed him a cup with some alcohol in it.

"Here… drink this," he told him. The younger man took the cup into his trembling hands and drank it without question. It calmed him down a little. Smoker felt pity for the boy and gently rubbed his back.

"Hey… it's all over now.." he said softly. Ace looked up at him.

"Why are you being kind to me?" he asked quietly, staring into his empty cup.

"No one deserves what you went through," Smoker said.

"Says the guy who wants all pirates to hang," Ace said, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a difference between hanging and being raped," Smoker pointed out.

"Neither one is very pleasant," Ace retorted.

"Only one leaves mental scars," Smoker said, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Reluctantly Ace took off his pants and let Smoker take care of his wounds… again. He began to wonder… didn't this boat have a freakin medic?

When they were done Smoker looked at the still slightly shaken boy.

"Lay down for a little while and then report to the cook," he told him. Ace slowly nodded, sitting on the bed. Smoker left him there and he tried to sleep, but the memories appeared more vividly. Everyone had taken turns at him, even if they didn't want to. Ace couldn't sleep for long. The nightmares were just too much. He went down to the galley to help the cook. Even though he was a bit slower than usual no one could say he was a layabout.

* * *

When the day ended Smoker showed Ace his new quarters, telling him, "As long as you're a member of my crew you'll sleep here."

It was a closet-sized room, but better than a floor. Ace nodded and went in, tearing off his marine uniform and putting on his more comfortable shorts. He tried to sleep, but when he realized he wasn't going to, he went on deck for some fresh air. Smoker was the only other person on deck.

"I'd cover those tattoos if I were you," Smoker said, "I've lost a lot of my men to the Whitebeard pirates."

"It's dark out, no one can see them," Ace said, "Besides, they all know who I am, if they want to kill me, they'll try to whether they see my tattoos or not."

"Suit yourself."

"Shirts are uncomfortable. I hate them," Ace said, sitting on the side of the ship. He knew he wasn't going to sleep unless his narcolepsy acted up again. He said nothing, just sat there in silence looking at the man he had gotten the shit beaten out of for. He sighed. How was he supposed to know that Smoker was Whitebeard's son. Of all the marines to have a thing for, he had to pick the worst possible one.

"So what… made you become a pirate?" Smoker asked the boy, "With your connections you could have had a nice job in the marines."

Ace looked up when he was spoken to. "It bothered me... so much was expected from me, being the oldest, I kind of cracked under the pressure and rebelled."

"It happens I guess," Smoker said, shrugging slightly. Ace really wanted to ask about Smoker and Whitebeard but he kept his mouth shut about it.

"Um… aren't you tired?" he asked.

"I don't sleep," Smoker replied.

"Liar," Ace said with a smirk, "I know you used to sleep because I used to sneak on the ship while you were asleep."

"You… you what??"

End Chapter 2

* * *

A/N: Yes I know, I'm an evil person who leaves you with cliffhangers.


	3. Chapter 3

You're A Marine Now

Rune Alchemist Kaori

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece in any way. It belongs to Eiichiro Oda

A/N: So far I've gotten pretty good reviews on this story. I can't believe I actually came up with an idea that hasn't been done a million times! This makes me very happy.

Smoker's face went red with anger and embarrassment as he looked at the cheeky youth in front of him.

"What were you doing??" he asked, glaring at the boy.

"Watching you sleep…" Ace said with a perfectly innocent look on his face, "Although I did get familiar with the ship… How did you think I knew where everything was anyway?"

"Why the hell were you watching me sleep??" the captain asked.

"Because I like you," Ace replied as if this were blatantly obvious.

"You… you.. huh?" Smoker looked away, this was all just too much. Not more than three days ago Ace was a pirate, he was a marine and they hated each other; all was right with the world. Now all of a sudden Ace was a marine under _his_ command and it turned out the boy _liked_ him.

"What.. you never noticed?" Ace asked, a look of surprise crossing his face. He laughed, "And here I thought you were just blowing me off this whole time."

Smoker tried to gather himself back together.

"I'm too busy to notice when someone's making puppy eyes at me," he said gruffly, but Ace had him, whether he would admit it or not, there was no way out of this highly embarrassing situation. The Ensign laughed.

"Well, now that you know, you can avoid me neh?" he said with a smirk.

"If you even think of trying something I will toss you over the side," Smoker said dangerously.

"Oh don't be stupid," Ace replied with a look of indignation, "If I had wanted to try something, I would have done it while you were asleep, before I was raped."

Ace looked to the side for a moment and Smoker's expression softened slightly. There was nothing he could say to the make the situation better so he went down into the galley for coffee. However, instead of finding coffee, he found the sake cupboard unlocked and sat down with that instead.

A full hour passed before Ace headed to the galley to check on his captain. He frowned at what he saw. Smoker was completely and utterly drunk.

"You've had enough Taisa," he said, urging the older man to get up, "You're not going to be able to get up at this rate…"

"Don touch me." he slurred. "I'ma captain, I do war I wan."

"Taisa... you're really drunk, you need to get to bed," Ace said softly.

"No!" he said.

Ace scowled at him. "I _am_ strong enough to carry you," he warned. Ace grabbed the keys to his cuffs. If Smoker got violent he would get killed with these stupid things on. He looked down and saw that Smoker had already passed out.

"Stupid Marines can't hold their liquor," Ace muttered as he picked the man up and carried him to his quarters. He looked at the key he had stolen. He _could_ unlock the cuffs and just leave. No one would hear him… Ace thought about it really hard then sighed and set it down next to a glass of water and a painkiller.

"You're lucky I care about what happens to you," Ace muttered as he left the captain and went to his own quarters.

Smoker slept in the next day and woke with a terrible headache. He sat up groaning softly. He looked to the side and popped the painkiller into his mouth, taking a long drink of water. He then saw the key sitting on his nightstand and choked, spluttering in his drink slightly. He got dressed quickly and headed up on deck quickly. He saw Ace there, leaning on his mop, cuffs still on.

"I bet your ship's never been so damn clean," Ace said with a smirk. Smoker breathed a small sigh of relief now that he saw Ace was still there. He was still very taken aback by what Ace had said the night before so he did not engage the boy, but rather left him alone and went about his own business. However as the day went on, Smoker found that he couldn't get the ex-pirate out of his head.

Even though it was late, and most of the other marines had gone to bed Ace wanted to stay busy. The busier he stayed the less time he had to think about his situation, or what had happened to him. And he was also less likely to have a bout of narcolepsy if he kept his mind occupied. Unfortunately for him his body was used to sleeping a lot more than he had been doing lately and it yelled at him for not giving it what it was used to and the boy ended up falling asleep against his mop once again, falling with a –THUD- to the floor. Smoker looked over at him seeing him fall and sighed. After a few minutes he went to pick him, but Ace woke before he could touch him.

"I'm up… I'm up what I miss?" he asked sleepily, "Are we fighting someone? Oh wait… nevermind…"

"You really should get that taken care of," Smoker said.

"If I could don't you think I would?" Ace asked.

"They _do_ make medicine for that…"

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me that??"

Smoker chuckled at Ace's reaction, "Probably because there's no guarantee it'll work and you have to get it from a doctor."

Ace sighed and shrugged a bit.

"Oh well… I've lived with it this long…" he said, and chuckled softly, "One of these days I'm gonna fall asleep and fall into the ocean."

"Don't say that!" Smoker said, "You shouldn't take death so lightly."

Ace tilted his head to one side.

"I'm not afraid of death…" he said, "Where do you think Luffy got it from?"

"That's not the best trait in a sailor," Smoker commented, "It makes you careless."

Ace just laughed.

"I _am_ careless," he said, "If I wasn't I wouldn't be in this situation would I?"

"Maybe… but don't you want to be _less_ careless?" he asked, "To better yourself?"

Ace looked at him, smirked and then asked, "Are you trying to be my dad or something?"

"Of course not!" Smoker said, "But if you die while you're under my command it'll be my ass."

"Good," Ace said, "I wouldn't want a guy I want in bed to be a father figure."

End Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

You're A Marine Now

By Rune Alchemist Kaori

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

A/N: Now that school's out I have more time to write. Sorry I took so long. I've gotten a lot of comments asking me to write more so… yeah… here you go everyone!

* * *

Smoker stared at the young ex-pirate for several long moments, too mortified to say anything. Ace's cheeky grin remained in place as he watched the reaction on his captain's face. Smoker growled and whacked the boy over top of the head. Ace just laughed. Smoker was still blushing and Ace found it so amusing and cute.

"Gomen Taisa," he said softly, and leaned up to kiss his cheek, "Night."

Ace started heading below deck to his quarters, already stripping off the annoying marine shirt. The older man sighed heavily. He didn't really want to leave Ace upset and despite the cheeky grin Smoker knew that Ace was upset that he was getting affection in return. He finished his cigar and went down to talk to him.

When Ace heard a knock at his door he had three ideas as to who it was. It was either:

1. Captain Smoker, come to yell at him about his behavior.

2. Tashigi come to ask him about why Smoker was upset all day or

3. It was crew members come to toss him overboard.

He really hoped it wasn't three as he opened the door.

"Look Portgas I…" Smoker stopped as he saw Ace was in his boxers, "I… I'll come back later."

"Just a sec," Ace said, pulling on his shorts, "I'm glad it's you and not someone who wants to throw me overboard."

_If you keep teasing me I just might…_ Smoker thought angrily.

"So whatcha want Taisa?" Ace asked. The older man sighed.

"Listen Portgas, it's not that I like you… but I don't hate you either," he said softly.

Ace grinned.

"I know that," he said, "If you hated me you wouldn't have put up with me this long."

"Ok… good… well then… good night…" Smoker said, turning to go."

"Taisa… wait… I had a question," Ace said, "Um… are we still going to headquarters?" Ace didn't exactly like the idea of seeing his grandfather.

"We still have to check in, yes," Smoker said, "This assignment is only temporary." He looked almost sad when he said this. The younger man sighed softly.

"I'm not a bad person… am I?" he asked quietly. Smoker laughed lightly.

"No… not a bad person," he said, "I might even miss you when you leave."

Ace blinked but didn't give his usual grin, looking back down at the floor.

Smoker shook himself out of his sentimental daze before he spoke again, "What am I talking about? I'll see you around. With connections like yours you'll be a captain in no time."

Ace sighed softly, "Don't tell my grandfather what happened to me…"

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," Smoker said softly, "The job's not as bad as you think. You'll still get to chase pirates."

"Yeah… including my friends and family…" Ace muttered. Smoker gave him a sympathetic look.

"You'll just have to make the best of things," he said.

"Luffy's got even less fear of death than I do sometimes. If had to pick between death or the navy he'd pick death in a second."

Ace sounded worried about his little brother. What if his grandfather made him chase after him. No one would be able to find Luffy faster than Ace. Smoker smiled.

"You don't have to worry about him. I'm not supposed to catch him, just keep an eye on him," he said, "As far as I know I'm the only one on his case."

Ace looked up at Smoker his eyes began to water and he quickly hid this. Luffy meant a lot to him. So much that if the Whitebeard pirates had ever come across the Strawhats he'd have jumped to his brother's side without hesitation. He cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry.." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Smoker walked over and put his arms around the boy.

"Don't worry, he's tougher than you give him credit for."

Ace nodded his head. "I know he is... I just worry about him..." he said softly. Ace hadn't really noticed until this moment the strong arms that had encircled him. Smoker couldn't help but notice how warm Ace was.

"His crew are no pushovers either," he said, "They'll protect him."

"I hope so," Ace whispered. His head rested on Smoker's chest.

Smoker discreetly slipped him the keys to his cuffs.

"Don't use it until you're almost at your grandfather's," he whispered, "You can escape and I wont get pegged for it."

"There's no sense in my leaving," Ace said with a sigh, "I don't /really/ want to die, if I want to stay alive the navy's my best bet... if my grandfather decides to keep me around that is."

"Keep it anyway," he said, "It's always good to have an escape route even if you don't want to use it."

"Thanks," Ace said appreciatively. He looked up at the captain. This embrace made him feel... safe, something he hadn't felt for a very long time.

Smoker realized what he was doing and dropped his arms with a blush. "Well then..."

Ace looked sad that he had let go. His arms came around the older man.

"Stay..." he whispered, "Please...?"

* * *

End Chapter 4

A/N: I'm making cookies! Cookies for all reviewers!


	5. Chapter 5

You're A Marine Now

By Tetsuhana

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I still don't own One Piece.

Author's note: I'm so sorry everyone! I changed my email address that I use without changing it on here so all you're pleas of "Please Update!" went unheard. T_T Anyway... this chapter may not be the best, but I wanted to update and let you all know that I'm not dead, and I changed my name!

Smoker swallowed hard, taking a step into Ace's room.

"Are… Are you sure?" he asked. Ace laid his head back on the older man's chest breathing in the smoky scent of his body.

"Mmmhmm…" he mumbled.

"Portgas… why do you love me anyway?" Smoker asked as he sat down with the boy still in his arms. Ace looked up at him.

"I love you… because you're stronger than me…" Ace whispered. Smoker chuckled a little.

"I think more than a lover you want someone to protect you," The older man said softly. Ace stared at the floor.

"I don't need protecting," he said defensively, "And I know that I love you."

Smoker chuckled again. Ace nuzzled under his chin, but decided to change the subject for his poor captain.

"So… how long until I have to see my grandfather?" he asked.

"Three days," Smoker replied. The younger boy frowned.

"Three days huh…" he said.

"Two if the weather stay's good."

"Two…" Ace deflated further. Smoker laid a sympathetic hand on Ace's shoulder. Ace's head turned up to him.

"It's so boring on this ship," he complained, "There's nothing to do and there isn't even any available booze. And… and I really don't want to see my grandfather…"

"You can find something to do, I'm the only one allowed to drink on this ship and you can't avoid him forever…" Smoker said. Ace sighed.

"I know... he's never really liked me very much..." Ace said, "I'm kind of half expecting to die."

"He wouldn't have made me let you join the crew if that was the case."

"He likes to mess with my head..." Ace said, sounding more and more distressed with each sentence, "He'd make me join the marines and then send me to the gallows.. Or... or something... I.. I'm so frustrated and confused..."

"I don't think he'd do that," Smoker said softly, "Besides, I think you'll make an excellent Marine."

Ace was shaking slightly as he tried to calm down. By this point if it weren't for his cuffs he probably would have begun to burn by now. He blinked at Smoker's second comment. "Huh?"

"You heard me. In fact I think I'll send a letter of recommendation with you to your grandfather."

Ace was stunned and didn't know what to say.

Smoker removed his hand. "You've had a long day, get some rest." he said and turned to leave.

Ace just nodded a little. "Good night Taisa..." he said softly, "It was nice talking to you..."

The next day was the same as any other. Ace picked up his mop and got to work. Ships were constantly getting dirty. It boggled the mind. Ace seemed to get more and more nervous as time went on. He didn't want to face his grandfather as a pirate who had been caught and disgraced. He sighed, leaning against his mop as he did every time when he took a short break.

Smoker rounded the corner. No one was doing much except for Ace. The man scowled, and began to bark orders at his men. Ace jumped and looked at him.

"Everything's clean…" he said.

"Yes, and I suppose you had to do it all," Smoker said.

"I like to stay busy, it's not a big deal." Ace shook his head. He was in an unusual environment, in a situation that was less than pleasant. He wanted to stay busy so he didn't have to think about it. The fact was, he had gone from second in command in one of the biggest pirate fleets around to an Ensign on a marine ship and was most likely going to be executed when they got to the marine base. The thought was depressing. If any of his old crew saw him they would laugh. Furthermore… what if he ran into his old crew? He'd have to fight them.. attempt to capture them and send them to their death…

Ace was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Smoker sigh. He looked up and saw the man, longingly staring into the ocean. He walked over hesitantly.

"Taisa…. Are you ok?" he asked quietly.

"Do you ever just want to jump in and try….? Even though you know you'll sink like a rock?" the man asked.

"Nice way to die," Ace said, "But yes…"

"I've done in 12 times," the Marine Captain said with another sigh. Ace stared for several long moments before his arms wrapped around the man. Smoker stiffened slightly, but he allowed the embrace.

"I always feel like if I try hard enough I'll be able to swim," he said.

"I know how you feel," the ex-pirate whispered. His head was resting on the captain's chest, making the man more uncomfortable. He released the boy.

"Go… go get food," he told him, "Supper should be ready," he mumbled, giving Ace a little shove towards the galley. Ace pouted. He was beginning to think that Smoker was likening himself to be his father figure. This just simply wouldn't do. He couldn't have that hot hunk of man trying to be his dad…. Still for now, it felt pretty nice.


	6. Chapter 6

You're A Marine Now

By Tetsuhana

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from One Piece

Since Ace had become a part of the marine crew he had kept to himself. The crew still saw him as a pirate and they weren't exactly kind to him. However, they did notice he was a hard worker, so that was worth something. Ace sat away from everyone, eating quietly until, much to his surprise, he was surrounded by the other marines. Ace was honestly ready to run for it, thinking they had come to beat the shit out of him. However as he looked at their faces none of them looked malicious.

"Take it easy," One said with a grin, "You've been eating alone since we picked you up."

_Yeah… because you all hate me…_ Ace thought, but he just gave a little nod. He didn't want to cause them to get angry.

"Sorry we piled so much work on you earlier kiddo," another one said. Ace grimaced slightly at the word "kiddo," but he shrugged it off.

"It's fine," he said, "I'm used to staying busy."

"I'm Kyosuke, this is Hideki and that's Daitaro," the eldest crew member introduced them all to Ace. The ex-pirate gave a little nod again.

Daitaro, the youngest, a few years younger than Ace ,spoke up, "So is it true about you and the captain?"

"Is what true?" Ace asked.

"You know…" Daitaro said.

Ace raised an eyebrow and then smirked in slight amusement. "No," he said, "Not yet anyway."

Kyosuke laughed. He clapped Ace on the shoulder.

"Don't feel down Ace," he said, "The Captain's a tough guy to land. We've all given up trying."

"That's a pity," Ace said, "It could have made an interesting competition…. He can't say no forever and I'm very persistent."

"Oh yes he can," Hideki said, "The last persistent guy was thrown overboard before he was transferred to a different ship."

Ace only grinned. "He just wasn't doing it right. You'll see."

"Yes we will," Kyosuke said. Secretly the crew had a bit of a bet going on for whether Ace would succeed or not.

Slowly the conversation turned from Ace and Smoker's love life to more casual things like family and home. Ace didn't have much to say that wouldn't make the crew cringe and eventually he let it slip that his grandfather was a Vice Admiral.

"Whoa… seriously?" Daitaro asked in amazement, "No wonder the captain didn't execute you!"

Hideki nudged Daitaro in the ribs roughly, giving him a slight glare.

"What he means is you have some serious connections," he said.

"I know…" Ace said, "He always wanted me to be a marine… It just didn't work out that way… and… now here I am…"

Ace suddenly fell asleep, his head falling into his food. Daitaro squeaked in surprise, staring.

"He has that weird disease," Kyosuke reminded his young crew mate, "He's not hurt, just sleeping."

They sort of stared at the ex-pirate. Hideki poked him lightly. Ace snorted, sitting back up, wiping food off his face.

"Besides, we don't get along very well," he continued. Daitaro was amazed that he just picked up where he left off completely unphased.

"Yeah…" the youngest crew member said, "But all you'd have to do is drop his name and you'd get practically anything!"

"I don't want to get ahead in anything that way!" Ace growled, "If I get anything I'll get it the way I always have, because I work damn hard for it!"

Kyosuke clapped Ace on the shoulder again. "Good man!" he said, "You newbies should follow his example. He's a good hard worker."

Ace flinched slightly under the older marine's touch. It felt so odd to hear kind words from them. He slowly left the group. It was just too weird.

That evening, Ace found he had nothing to do. His chores were finished and his mind was restless. He sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the ship. He knew it was dangerous, especially with his condition, but he did it anyway.

Smoker had written a letter of recommendation for the young Ensign. He didn't believe that the Vice Admiral would execute his grandson, even if Ace was only his grandson through adoption. Either way, he hoped that a letter telling the Vice Admiral about Ace's admirable behavior would help the boy's cause. He went on deck and saw Ace sitting on the railing. He walked over and leaned against it near him. Tomorrow was their last day together. It was a surprisingly sad thought.

Ace glanced towards the captain but said nothing for a long while as they watched the sun setting over the ocean's horizon.

"I'm going to miss you Taisa…" Ace said softly after several long minutes of silence.

"Don't worry," Smoker said, "You're going to be fine. You're a good kid."

"I won't get far with you stuck up marines," Ace said, "I have too much of a tendency to…"

Smoker looked over at him. He had fallen asleep and was starting to slip. He quickly grabbed him, pulling him into safety. The young Ensign snuggled into Smoker's broad chest.

"Good lord… even when's he's asleep…" Smoker muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

You're A Marine Now

By Tetsuhana

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece in any way, shape or form.

(Author's Note: In order to make up for not updating for like a year and a half I've updated I think once a day for three days now. So that's my present to you readers! But I'm going to the beach on Monday so there may not be any updates for the next week. I'll try to make sure I finish this story though.))

Ace woke up from his narcolepsy and blinked a few times. Smoker was leaning over him, looking a little worried.

"You idiot!" Smoker snapped, "Use your brain and be more careful next time."

Smoker looked away. He had honestly been somewhat terrified when he had seen Ace slipping from the railing and falling. There would have been nothing he could have done if he had fallen. Ace sat up, generally just looking a little confused.

"Thanks for catching me," he mumbled.

"Whatever," Smoker muttered. Ace moved a little closer.

"Taisa… did you save me… because you care… or because of my grandfather?" The ensign asked hesitantly.

"I didn't want you to drown," Smoker said gruffly. Ace took another step closer.

"But… why?"

"It was a reflex," Smoker muttered, "Nothing more."

"Oh…" Ace looked a little disappointed.

"But… if I had a reason…" Smoker muttered, "It wouldn't be because of your grandfather…"

Ace looked up at the captain with a look of pure delight without a hint of sarcasm or mischief. The ex-pirate looked around to be sure no one was watching before he leaned up and quickly kissed Smoker's cheek.

"I love you…" he whispered before dashing off. He had been invited to play cards with some of the other crew members. He just hoped it wasn't some sort of trap. With the sea stone on his wrists he wasn't a very good fighter. Smoker stared after the boy, his face turning red.

Ace found the men who had invited him to play cards.

"How's it going Romeo?" Kyosuke teased him, "Pull up a seat."

Ace sat down with them, sighing softly.

"It's such a shame… tomorrow's my last day with you guys. For marines you're not all half-bad.

"Only one more day?" Daitaro asked. He was a little disappointed. He had really started to like Ace.

"Yeah, unless the winds are bad, but everything seems fine. I'm going to get the scolding of a lifetime… I'll be lucky if that's all I get." Ace sighed again, "Oh well, let's play cards."

The three crew members stared at him for several minutes, but they let it go and dealt him into the game. Ace was a cheat, but he was subtle. Being among pirates, you had to learn how to cheat or you'd never win. Ace made sure he let the marines win occasionally. He didn't want them to hate him after all. After several hours, they all headed to bed.

Ace stripped off his shirt and boots and went to sleep. However, he couldn't rest. He kept thinking about Smoker. He wondered if the man was angry with him. The ex-pirate was just barely falling asleep when there was a knock at his door. He opened it to see Kyosuke, Hideki and Daitaro there.

"What's up?" the freckled man asked sleepily.

"We have a present for you," Hideki said. They dragged Ace upstairs.

"What's going on?" Ace asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Shh…" Daitaro shushed him and pointed out onto the deck from slightly down the stairs. Ace stared. Smoker was running laps around the deck in a pair of shorts and his boots, and nothing else. Ace almost started drooling. His body was so toned; so desirable.

"Wow… I think that's the best present I ever received…"

"We thought you'd like it," Kyosukie said, "We're gonna miss you Ace."

"Thanks…" Ace said, distracted by the sight of Smoker running, but it was touching that they cared.

That afternoon Ace nervously stood near the edge of the ship, staring at the approaching island where the Marine Headquarters was located. His heart was pounding. He was truthfully scared. When the boat was docked Smoker walked Ace off the ship. Ace saw his grandfather and both he and Smoker saluted. Ace tried to keep his head high, looking unashamed. Smoker and Vice Admiral Garp spoke for several minutes. Then Garp's eyes fell on his adopted grandson.

"Come on boy, into my office," he said gruffly.

"Yes sir…" Ace mumbled, following him. Smoker watched them go with a strange sort of pain in his chest. Once they were out of sight, he went back to his ship.

Ace stood on the other side of his grandfather's desk. He had lost his nerve and was staring at his feet. He received a severe tongue lashing before Garp opened the letter Smoker had given him about Ace.

_ Dear Vice Admiral Garp,_

_Despite this young man's less than desirable history in piracy, he has proven to be a very responsible and capable sailor under my command. I highly recommend his continued services among the marines. He has shown a level of dedication in his work that is rarely seen in new recruits._

_ Yours Truly,_

_ Captain Smoker_

Ace stood there nervously as the Vice Admiral read. He swallowed hard when the man looked up at him.

"Well Ace," he said, "It looks like your finally starting to grow up. I'll have an assignment for you in the morning. Please try to stay out of trouble until then."

Ace blinked.

"You mean… that's it?" he asked, "You aren't going to send me to the gallows, or a prison cell or something?"

"You're finally shaping up to be the man I wanted you to be. Why would I do that?" Garp asked, "Now get out, I'm very busy."


	8. Chapter 8

You're A Marine Now

Chapter 8

Tetsuhana

Ace felt a deep sense of relief as he left his Grandfather's office and yet still… a deep sense of sadness. He'd get reassigned in the morning. He supposed he should find a place to sleep until then. Even though he had been a prisoner in the technical sense he had been paid for his time working on the ship so he decided to go buy a good meal and a drink. At the local tavern he bought a meal. He sadly passed out half-way through it, causing quite an uproar. Some of his shipmates from Smoker's ship saw him. Daitaro giggled.

"Don't worry, he's just asleep, he does that all the time," The young man said.

"He'll wake up in a few minutes," Kyosuke assured them. Sure enough after a few minutes had passed Ace woke up and resumed eating. He drank his beer and frowned as he watched other marines hassling a waitress. His grandfather had told him to stay out of trouble, but how could he when trouble so easily found him. With the sea stone cuffs off, he could fight like hell if he wanted to. He growled and walked over to the ruffians who were hassling the young lady. He grabbed the man's wrist who tried to grab her.

"I don't think she much likes your company," he said, looking at him and narrowing his eyes.

"Back down Ensign," the man said, "Or I'll report you."

Ace laughed. He noted the man's rank. He was a Lieutenant; like that would make Ace back down.

"No, I don't think I will. You bastards call yourself marines and get all high and mighty and you abuse a pretty girl? Pathetic. Does that make you feel better about yourself? To pick on someone who's defenseless?" Ace was getting angry. Angry to a point that flames were licking at his body and…. There went his uniform. Luckily he wore his flame proof shorts underneath.

"You… you're a demon!" the Lieutenant said.

"Maybe I am," Ace said nonchalantly, "If I weren't in the goddamn marines myself I'd kill you. So I guess it's your lucky day ain't it? Get out."

Shakily the Lieutenant and his little posse got out of the tavern. The Lieutenant shouted, "Vice Admiral Garp will hear about this!"

"I'm sure he will…" Ace said with a sigh as he cooled down. He looked at the startled girl.

"You alright miss?" he asked.

"Get out!" She shrieked, frightened by the fact that she had just seen him on fire, like a demon, "We don't serve your kind here! Get out get out get out!"

She slapped Ace across the face. Ace sighed and smiled sadly. He blew her a kiss and left. Undoubtedly on this small island his actions would be known by everyone within the hour. Ace just went to the marine barracks. He curled up to go to sleep.

He woke up to water being tossed on him.

"Damnit!" Ace shouted, mostly because it was cold and also because he realized he had caught the bed on fire. He stood up, soaking wet and saluted the Lieutenant who had tossed the water on him.

"Here are your orders Portgas. Report to your ship immediately."

"Yes sir," Ace responded, taking the orders.

Smoker sighed, leaning on the railing of the ship and looking at the island. It was about time to shove off. He was going to miss the obnoxious ex-pirate. He had certainly made life interesting.

"We're all ready to go sir," Tashigi reported. Smoker nodded, leaving the railing… well almost. A hand grabbed his wrist. Startled and angry he yanked whoever had grabbed him on board to see a surprised, but slightly smirking Ace.

"You…. You…" Smoker was getting red in the face with anger and embarrassment, "What the hell are you doing?"

Ace handed him the orders.

"Respectfully sir, Vice Admiral Garp requested that I stay aboard your ship. He got wind of some mischief I made last night and decided that you're the only one who can keep me in line," Ace responded, saluting respectfully.

The crew members were snickering. Smoker dropped him. "Then get to work!" he yelled, "And the lot of you, we're supposed to be shoving off, what are you all standing there snickering about?"

The laughter died, though was still felt as the ship went out of port. Everyone knew that Smoker was glad to have Ace with them, he just didn't want to show it.

"Ace!" Daitaro gave him a slap on the shoulder, "Cards tonight?"

Ace grinned.

"Sounds great," he said.


	9. Chapter 9

You're A Marine Now

By Tetsuhana

A/N: Thanks everyone who is still reading! I love you guys! Just a quick bit of self-promotion here. If you'd be interested in reading any of my original fiction it can be found on Deviantart under B-R-Benton.

Things settled down after a while on Smoker's ship. They were going to a neighboring island for Captain Smoker's promotion ceremony. Ace had heard about this promotion and was rather pissed about it. Smoker was getting promoted for what his brother had done. They couldn't let the credit for the fall of someone so notorious land on another "notorious" pirate, so instead Smoker managed to scoop it up. It wasn't that Ace thought that the Captain, soon to be Commodore, didn't deserve a promotion, he was just angry about how it had come about. Ace had the ship perfectly clean again and looked at the Captain who was smoking his cigars, looking out at the water.

"Neh, Smoker-taisa," Ace said, "I heard you're being promoted… for what my brother did…"

Ace's voice was bitter and Smoker _almost_ flinched from the sound of it.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," the older man said firmly and calmly.

"No… I imagine not, now that I'm officially part of your crew and all," Ace said, his voice still bitter as he walked away. The captain glanced back at him. He understood why Ace was upset. Luffy had fought bravely and nobly against Crocodile and deserved the recognition, but letting a pirate take the credit for something like that would cause a public outcry and people might not even fully believe it. It would just end up a horrible mess that could easily be avoided by giving the credit to the marine officer who was present.

The ship was perfect when they docked. The whole crew had to attend the ceremony, including Ace. Which meant, to Ace's annoyance, that he had to pull on his uniform. When they were out on the seas the rest of the crew and even Smoker didn't especially care if Ace decided to walk around shirtless. They had all accepted that he was an ex-pirate and the tattoo on his back no longer caused gasps of shock or glares of anger. Still, if he walked into the ceremony, shirtless and with Whitebeard's mark on his back he was pretty sure he'd be shot.

Thankfully, the ceremony was brief. Smoker received his title and a fleet of five to command. Ace left as soon as the mandatory part was over. There was drinks and food all around afterwards, but he wasn't interested. Despite what his grandfather wanted he didn't fit in with these people. He went down to the dock and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge near the water. He heard footsteps on the boards of the dark and it was easy for him to figure who it was. He stood to his feet and saluted the newly promoted commodore.

"At ease Ace, I just want to talk," Smoker said to him.

"Yes sir, what do you want?" Ace asked.

"Listen Ace, it's not that I wanted to take the credit, it just worked out that way," the older man said.

"I'm not an imbecile sir," Ace said, "I know you can't go giving credit for something good to a pirate. It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

"I'm… glad you understand," Smoker said. There were several minutes of awkward silence before Ace spoke.

"Aren't you going back inside? That is _your_ party after all," he said.

"I don't like social gatherings," Smoker responded.

"Whatever you say," Ace said, being a little too informal with his commanding officer. Again the awkward silence settled in. Ace had seated himself again and was staring out at the water. After what seemed like an eternity he asked a question, "Smoker… are you angry that I was placed in your crew?"

"No," Smoker said with finality, "You're a hard worker and good man."

Ace smiled a little bit. That made him feel a little better. He stood to his feet and leaned up, placing a kiss on Smoker's cheek.

"I love you," he whispered. The older man's face went red as he rubbed at his cheek.

"I'm not a woman, stop that," he grumbled. Ace chuckled.

"I know you're not a woman," he whispered, "If you were a woman I wouldn't be interested in you."

Smoker's blush only deepened as he looked away.

"I'm not interested in men Portgas," he said, "I've told you that."

"I'll teach you how," Ace breathed softly, giving Smoker a sexy look, "But not today. Some day."

"You cocky little brat," Smoker muttered, "What makes you think I'd want to learn?"

"You will." Ace assured him.

"Don't be so sure," the commodore muttered.

"I'll wait," Ace told him, "As long as it takes, I'll wait."

"I need some air…"

"We're already outside," Ace pointed out.

"I need some air over there," Smoker said, "The air here is messed up."


End file.
